Scully set her things down absently, staring at the wall just above Mulder's head. Mulder cleared his throat, trying to get her attention. When that failed, he tried a different tactic, gently touching her hand.
"Scully?"
She started slightly, then her eyes focused on his own. He could tell she was sad, deeply so. But why? It wasn't the anniversary of Emily's death, or Melissa's, or her father's. So why did she seem so down?
"Sorry, I just zoned out there for a second. What've we got today?" She plastered a smile on her face and looked away, but he saw right through her.
"Nothing. At least not until you tell me what you're upset about." He touched her cheek lightly. "Why won't you look at me?"
She shrugged him off. "I'm fine, Mulder."
"You're not, I can tell. It's okay, just tell me what's wrong. I just want to help," he looked at her pleadingly.
"Mulder, you can't fix this. It's not a problem you can just make go away."
"That's okay, maybe it'll help to just talk about it."
She huffed sadly. "Fine. It's Mother's Day and it sucks because I was a mother and now I'm not because I was too selfish to make the right decision. Are you happy now?"
He pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. "You weren't selfish, Dana. You made the decision you had to, for her sake. She loved you so much. She saw how much you loved her, I promise. That doesn't make you any less of a mother."
"I would have loved her so much, Mulder."
"You did. She knows that."
Scully pulled back, wiping her eyes hastily.
"Let me take you to dinner tonight. It'll get your mind off of things."
She nodded tiredly. "Okay."
"You go on home and take some time, okay? I'll take care of the case report and I'll pick you up around six. Is that good for you?"
"Sure. Thanks, Mulder."
Scully would never have admitted this, but she needed the afternoon off. She called her mother, who never failed to comfort her, and then took a long, hot bath to ease her tense muscles. She felt reinvigorated and watched television until Mulder knocked softly on her door.
She opened it to see him on the other side, holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers. "They're lilies. The lady at the flower shop said they mean 'peace'. I thought you could use some today."
She accepted, filling a vase with water and placing the lilies gently inside. She smiled softly. "They're beautiful, thank you."
He took her hand and kissed her cheek. "Of course. Now, are you ready to be wined and dined by the finest in the business?"
She chuckled. "Ready as I'll ever be."